# 2004 Ford F-150 - Oil pressure drops **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ford\ **Created:** [May 20, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682 "2019-05-20T13:45:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shawn59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shawn59](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shawn59)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/1 "2019-05-20T13:45:02Z")
My Ford F150 4x4 Heritage Edition has 234256 miles on it and the oil pressure drops then rebounds then bottoms out. There is a light tapping sound then it worsens to a rattle. The oil was changed on Friday and this happened the next day after a 160 mile trip. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/2 "2019-05-20T13:50:06Z")
Have you checked the oil level? If you haven’t checked it, do it NOW before driving it again! Seriously, NOW! Is there an oil puddle under the truck? Has the low oil pressure warning light (red) been or flickering? Was the correct oil used when changed? ---
**Author:** ![Shawn59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shawn59](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shawn59)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/3 "2019-05-20T13:59:27Z")
I changed the oil on Friday, used what the specs called for 5w-20. It isn’t leaking or blowing out or burning the oil. Oil level is perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/4 "2019-05-20T14:39:09Z")
Install an oil pressure test gauge in place of the oil pressure sending unit/switch, and see what the oil pressure actually is. It doesn’t sound good tho. Especially with the noise. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Shawn59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shawn59](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shawn59)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/5 "2019-05-20T15:00:47Z")
What’s your worse case scenario? I don’t have a lot of wiggle room, it’s my only vehicle and I need a direction to go with it…like to the scrap yard…Ha Ha… ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/6 "2019-05-20T15:22:22Z")
> [@Shawn59](#): > > What’s your worse case scenario? The engine locks up solid. That is the worst case. Considering that this didn’t happen until you changed the oil, I’d replace the oil filter with a new one from Motorcraft. If, for some reason, a bad filter is causing this, it is a quick and easy thing to do. The 2nd thing I’d do is what @Tester suggested, test the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge to confirm the readings you are seeing on the dash. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/7 "2019-05-20T15:33:56Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Considering that this didn’t happen until you changed the oil, I’d replace the oil filter with a new one from A very similar thing happened to a coworker of mine several years ago he performed an oil and filter change on his personal vehicle, using the correct viscosity oil, but a cheap store brand filter Soon afterwards, he noticed that the oil pressure gauge . . . an aftermarket gauge that was part of a “pod” hung in front of the shifter . . . was indicating very low oil pressure sure enough, the cheap filter damaged his engine he wound up pulling a used engine at pick a part on 1/2 price weekend Then he installed it in his stall, during work hours, which ate up pretty much his entire work day. It was a fwd car, so there was quite a bit of work involved So that cheap filter wound up costing him a lot of money . . . the price of the engine, a full day’s work, and whatever it cost him to pull the engine at the junkyard After all was said and done, he never bought store brand oil filters again ---
**Author:** ![Shawn59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shawn59](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shawn59)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/8 "2019-05-20T16:07:59Z")
Well not only does it lose oil pressure, after approximately 10 mins, it has a rattle that sounds like it is a diesel engine… I don’t have the capability to check the pressure as you suggested… ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/9 "2019-05-20T16:43:56Z")
Maybe some drain holes in the cylinder head are blocked - maybe from oil sludge, maybe from filter material. Removing valve covers and checking may be the next step if a new good filter doesn’t make a diff. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-f-150-oil-pressure-drops/140682/10 "2019-05-20T17:44:56Z")
> [@Shawn59](#): > > I don’t have the capability to check the pressure as you suggested… Then swap out the oil filter for a Motorcraft or Wix . . . did you perform the oil and filter change yourself, or did a shop do it? If a shop did it, go back to them, with the invoice in hand, and explain the situation. Maybe the filters they’re using are bad And if that doesn’t resolve your issue, you need to rent/buy an oil pressure gauge or pony up money for a shop to diagnose the problem(s)